Tucson Shooting Survivors, Victims' Families And Mayors Against Illegal Guns Launch Campaign To "Demand A Plan" From President Obama And Governor Romney To Prevent Gun Violence
www.DemandAPlan.org and Full-Page Ad in USA TODAY Ask: What Will President Obama and Governor Romney Specifically Do to Reduce Gun Violence?
NEW YORK, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to the tragedy in Aurora, a group of survivors and family members of victims of the January 2011 shooting in Tucson, Arizona today joined Mayors Against Illegal Guns to launch a national campaign, beginning with a full-page advertisement in USA TODAY, to demand a plan of action to reduce gun violence from President Obama and Governor Romney. The group of 12 survivors and family members partnered with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of more than 700 mayors working to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, to urge the two presidential candidates to present their plans to end the gun violence that murders 34 people every day in the U.S. The campaign includes a web site – www.DemandAPlan.org – where visitors can sign a petition to demand that President Obama and Governor Romney tell the country specifically what they will do to end the bloodshed.
"President Obama and Governor Romney have offered sympathy for the victims of the Aurora shooting spree, but no solutions for dealing with the 34 Americans who are murdered with guns every single day," said Mayors Against Illegal Guns Co-Chair and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "We have heard enough people in Washington tell us that this is not the time to talk about gun violence – now it's time to hear from the men and women who have been directly affected by it. The Tucson survivors and families have been waiting 18 months for something to change, and they deserve to know – as do all Americans – how the men running for president plan to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous people. We will not allow the candidates to turn a moment of silence into months of skirting the issue."
"We've gone far too long without having a real conversation about gun violence in this country," said Mayors Against Illegal Guns Co-Chair and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "We've expressed our condolences and we will never forget those who senselessly lost their lives in Tucson and Aurora – and sadly, the many other shootings we've experienced in this country – but the condolences are not enough anymore. We need meaningful action and we need it now."
The Arizonans – including 11 survivors and 1 family member of a victim – who called on President Obama and Governor Romney to develop a substantive plan to end gun violence are:
(Ret.) Col. Bill Badger, wounded in Tucson shooting
Dr. David Bowman, Tucson survivor
Nancy Bowman, Tucson survivor
Ken Dorushka, wounded in Tucson shooting
Carol Dorushka, Tucson survivor
Randy Gardner, wounded in Tucson shooting
Pat Maisch, Tucson survivor
Tom McMahon, Tucson survivor
Mary Reed, wounded in Tucson shooting
Angela Robinson, daughter of shooting victim Dorwan Stoddard
Pam Simon, wounded in Tucson shooting
Mavy Stoddard, wounded in Tucson shooting and wife of victim Dorwan Stoddard
The full-page advertisement that ran in the A section of all editions of USA TODAY can be viewed at www.DemandAPlan.org.
Full copy of the advertisement is as follows:
"Another Mass Shooting in America
Another Moment of Silence
But Will the Moment Ever End?
We are survivors of the Tucson shooting and the families of the dead.
Our hearts ache for Aurora. We know the wounds they have suffered. We remember the kind words that our elected officials had for us. But we have seen their moment of silence stretch into 18 months of inaction.
We are a diverse group - Republicans, Democrats, gun owners, a nurse, a retired teacher, a hunter, a veteran. Since tragedy brought us together, we've tried to fix our broken gun laws. Now, after another mass shooting, our leaders are calling for sympathy for the survivors. That's only right. But it's not enough.
WE DEMAND ACTION. EVERY DAY, 34 MORE AMERICANS ARE MURDERED WITH A BULLET. THREE AURORA MASSACRES - EVERY SINGLE DAY.
48,000 AMERICANS WILL BE MURDERED WITH A GUN DURING THE NEXT PRESIDENT'S TERM.
What will the next president do to stop it? So far, neither candidate has been willing to address the issue head on. We cannot allow their moment of silence to turn into months and years.
We can honor the lost by working together to take simple steps that protect the Second Amendment and protect the lives of innocent people.
DEMAND COURAGE. DEMAND ACTION. DEMAND A PLAN.
Sincerely,
[NAMES OF SURVIVORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS LISTED ABOVE]
Tell PRESIDENT OBAMA & GOVERNOR ROMNEY
to Explain How They'll Keep Guns Out of the Hands of Dangerous People.
SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns
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